Direction indicator



Nov. 18, 1930. 'F. WEIDLINGER 1,781,888

1 DIRECTION I NDICATOR Filed July 15, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESSES; V INVENTOR:

- flaw; I I/idZinger,

/ I ATTORNEY.

Nov, 18, 1930. F. WEIDLINGER DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed July 13, 1928' 4 sheets-sheex 2 IN VEN TOR. hweidli 1 ATTORNEY.

VVITNES SE3: W0?

Nov. 18, 1930. F. WEIDLINGER DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed July 13, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet s 1 ll 'IIIIIIIII k Inn \llllllllllllllllhl! IIIllllllllllllllllllllll 'IIIIIII l 5 YR WITNESSES:

1 INVENTOR: flan]; 144218511 61;

BY v

ATTORNEY.

NOV. 18, 1930. F, WE|DL|NGER 1,781,888

DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed July 13,, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WI TNESUSES; INVENTORI flan]; midziljyez;

CW I BY Patented Nov. 18,1930

TEs'

1 FRANK wninmnenn, or BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA DIRECTION Immune Application fiied'iui 13, 192s. Serial nb. ,292,4sa

My invention relates to signaling devices and more particularly to a 'directionjindioator for use on motor vehicles. y

The object of theinvention is to provide a 8' direction indicator having a pointer, for indicating the direction in which a moving vehicle is to be turned, and means for illuminating the pointer when it is pointing in certain directions. 7 1

viding a pointer secured to a pointershaft which is rotatably mounted in a suitable frame, the shaft having a clutch wheel connected therewith with which a clutch'memher rotatably mounted adjacent thereto is adapted to be brought into driving engage clutch and clutch wheel and for stoppingthe clutch wheel. r g

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of my invention arranged to be mount ed upon the side of a vehicle and with the pointer in position to indicate that the vehicle is about to make a turn, and c Figure 2 a side view thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side view ofthe indicator shown in Figure 1, with part of the casing removed and the pointer shown in section, V

- Figured a traginentaryplan view taken on line H on Figure 3,. a

Figure 5 a plan view, partly in section, taken on line 5 5 onFigure 3 but with the casing omitted,

Figure 6 a fragmentary longitudinal sec- 9 tion, as indieatedby line on Figure 1,

The above object is acconiplished bypro- -'-Figure 7 a frag entary plan View taken on line 7 7 on Figure 6, and

I Figure 8 a wiring diagram."

Rei'errlng to the drawings, 10 indicates a casing, housing most'of the working parts and attachable to a motor vehicle by a support supported by a brace 13fwhich1i's"preferably '11 which extends into the casing and forms hollow to accommodate electrical conductors, f i

A' ip'o'inter -14, preferably representing an a'r-i row, is mounted for rotation above the cas-' ing and-consists ofa shell-lz'i 'having openings in each side covered with transparent mate rialIG. J

The arrow contains an'e'lectricf lamp 1'? mountedina socket 18 which'haso'neterminal grounded to the shell and the other 'co'nnecte'd" by a wire 19 to a brush 20 extending through the bottom o f'the shell and;containing a spring 21 for holding a carbon tip 22 against adielectric ring 23 fixed to the frame. .A pair of segmental contacts 24 are embedded in ring 23, connected to a source of electric energyjby wires 25 and 26,iand so located that I lamp 1'? will be illuminated only when the arrow is pointing tothe right or left/ Ajbearing 27 is secured to the'under side of shell and rests upon a wearing'ring 28 supported by a bearing 29 fixed in the frame ande'ztending through ring 23 A shaft '30, rotatably mounted in bearing 29 and extending through bearing 27 afnd into the arrow, hasa clutch wheel 31, fixed on its lower end a'ndabutting the bottom end of bearing 7 v 29, and a11ut-32 threaded onto its upper end torholding the arrmv against removal thereilrTnn. Shai't 3,0 is'fixed forrotation,with the arrow by pin 33 which extends through the shaft and through notches 3& in the side walls of bearing 27. In order to cover brush 20 and ring 23 and exclude; foreign mattena shield 35 is secured to the under side of shell 15 mounted.- A gear 39 is fined en shaft 36 and meshes with a gear fixed on the armature shaft of motor 41 secured to the frame; the lower end of shaft 36being rotatably mounted in the casing of the motor.

The bifurcated end of a clutch lever 42 straddles shaft 86 and abuts the under side of clutch member-38. 42 extends upwardly and forms a dog 43 adapted to engage any one of four notches 44 formed in clutch wheel 31. Lever 42 is pivoted on a pin 45in the frame and (log 43is held against lateral movementby a guide 46 secured to the frame. Lever 42 is so proportioned that, when dog 43 has been withdrawn 7 from a notch 44 and its face is ridin upon the periphery of clutch wheel 31, its bifurcated end will hold clutch member 38 .in engagement with the lower or clutching face of clutch wheel 31. V

A magnet armature 47vhasoneend bifurcated and pivoted on pin 45, at either side I of lever 42, and its other end disposed above an electro-magnet 48 mounted in the frame. A bell crank 49, extending through the bifurcated end of armature 47 and pivoted on a pin 50 fixed therein, has one arm rockably mounted on a pin 51 fixed in the frame and its other arm hinged to a latch '52 which rests upon the top of clutch wheel 31 and engages the upper end of dog 43. Pin 51 passes through slots 53 in the bifurcated end of armature 47 sothat, whenthe magnet is energized, the armature will rock on pin 45 and cause pin 50 to'swing bell crank 49 on pin 51 and draw latch 52 outwardly, consequently dra 'ing dog 43 out of notch 44 and forcing clutch member 38 against the undersideof clutch wheel 31. I

Cam'faces 54 are formed or secured on the top of clutchwheel 31 between notches44 so that, as the clutch wheel rot-ates, one of these cam faces will engage latch 52 and'disengage it from dog 4?), allowing the dog to ride upon the periphery of the CllltCljl'Wll-Gl and drop into the next notch 44, automatically releasing the pressure of clutch levcr42 on clutch member 38 and stopping rotation of the clutch wheel and arrow Ears 55 are secured to orformed 'on the frame and have a weighted arm 54; pivoted between them and connected to hell crank 49 by links 57. A. weight on tin free end of arm. 56, is sufficiently heavy to raise bell crank 49 and armature 47 when magnet 48 is de-energized and allow latch 52 to rceugage dog i I Iii-Figure 8, which shows one niethod of electrically connectingthe ditlerent parts of the device, 59 represents a pole changing switch, which may be actuated by any usual means, having two terminals connected-to the terminals of a battery 60 or other source of energy by wires 61 and 62 and two terminals connected to motor 41 bywires 63 and 64. The negative terminal. of. thefbattery is The other endof lever Assuming I that the. direction grouin'led to the frame, magnet 48 com'iei'ttei'l between wires 6?) and 64, one side of the field 65 ofthc motor grounded to the frame, and. its other side connected to the positive terminal of the battery by a wire 66. A normally open switch 67, connected into wire 66,is adapted to be closed each t me. switch'59 1S flow from the battery through wire 61, wire 64, the armature of the .motor, wire. 63 and wire 62, back to the battery and rotate the armature J in the opposite direction asthe current always flows in; the same direction through the hold of the motor,

As fk'lgll'lGlli-S 24 are connected to wire 66 between the battery and switch, lamp-l7 will beilluininated whenever the arrow is swung to the right or left to bring the point of brush 21 in contact with a segmental contact and will remain illuminated. until the arroweis swung to point forwardly or rearwardly. As magnet 48 is connected between wires ,63 and 64, it will be energizedeach time switc-li59 is operated. V

indicator shown ismounted .upon the left side, of. a motorv vehicle, connected as just described with the arrow pointing forwardly, and that the operator wishes to turn to the left, he will operateswitch 59 to rotate the arn'iature of the motorto swing the arrow into the position shown in the drawings. lvla-gnet, 48 will be energized and attract armature 47 which will draw dog 43 out of'notch 44 and f rce clutch member 38agaiust clutch wheel 31, thus imparting rotatioi'i tothe clutch wheel and the arrow. As the clutch wheel rotates, a cam face 54 will disengage latch 52 from dog 43 and, when the arrow has swung approxi mately the next notch 44 will be engaged bydog 43, simultaneously stopping rotation of the clutch wheel and arrow and disengaging clutch member 38. I

After making the turn, the operator should operate switch 59 to swing the arrow in the opposite direction so that it will point for-- ward; If the vehicle is to be turned to the right, switch 59 is operated to rotate the armature of the motor in the opposite direction. If the vehicle is to be moved rearwardly, switch 59 is closed twice in succession to'rotate the arrow-two quarter-turns.

The apparatus as illustrated and described may bevaried in numerous details from the specific disclosureswit-hout departing from V for moving the clutch memberinto engage a shaft rotatable'therein, a pointer OD the shaft, a perimetrically notched elutchwheel on the shaft, a rotatable clutch member, means for rotating the clutchmember, a lever J ment with the clutch wheel, a dogcarricd by the lever for engaging the notches in the clutch wheel, and means for actuating the the lever andmoving'the dog into such notch engaging position.

2. A direction indicator including a frame, a pointer shaft rotatable therein, a pointer on the shaft, a notched clutch. wheel on" shaft, a rotatable clutch member,.means for rotating the clutch member, a ,"lever for moving the clutch member against the clutch wheel, a dog integral with the lever for engaging a notch in the clutch wheel, andmeans for withdrawing the dog from notch and causing the lever to move the clutch member. 7 i r l y 3. A direction indicator including a frame, a pointer shaft rotatable in the frame, a pointer on the shaft-,a notched clutch wheel on the shaft, a rotatable 4 clutch member,

means for rotating the clutch member, a le-' ver for moving the-clutch member against the clutch wheel, a dog integral with the lever for engaging a notch in theclutch wheel, and means for withdrawingthe dog from a notch and causing the lever to move the clutch member; the lever-"being so proportioned that the clutch member willbe held in engagement with the clutch wheel when the dog is engaging the periphery ofthe wheel.

4. A direction indicator including a frame, a pointer shaft rotatable therein, a pointer on the shaft, a peripherally notched clutch wheel on the shaft, a rotatable clutch mem' ber, means for rotating the clutch member, a lever for moving the clutch member against theclutch wheel, a dog carried by the lever for engaging 'a notch in the clutch wheel, a

i latch, means for actuating the latch to engage the dog, and means for disengaging the latch from the dog.

A d rection indicator including a.

frame, a pointer shaft rotatable therein, a

pointer on the shaft, a notched clutch wheel on the shaft, a rotatable clutch member,

means for rotating the clutch member, a lever for moving the clutch member against the clutch wheel, a dog integral with the lever for engaging a notch inthe clutch wheel. a.

rockable in the frame.

the armature and latch, and means for'energizing the magnet.- I I 6. A direction indicator including a frame, a pointer shaft rotatable therein, a pointer on the shaft, a notched clutch wheel on the shaft, a rotatable clutch member,means for] Ijotating-the'clutch member, a lever for moving, the clutch .member against the clutch wheehi-a' dog'integ-ral with the lever for engaging a notch i i-the clutch wheel, a latch engaging the dog,- cam faces on the clutch wheel for disengaging the latchfrom the dog,

"magnet, a link hinged to thebell crankQand a weighted arm connected to the link and;

7. A direction indicator includin a rotat able pointer, a wheel connected therewith and provided with radially extendednotches spaced about itsperimeter, means for rotatingthe pointer and a bell crank lever adapted to engage one leg with a notch in-said wheel to lock the pointer against rotation, said lever operating simultaneously to vdisenga,';e itself from the notch and to .render" said means effective forrotating'the pointer.

tatably mounted pointer, a peripherally notched wheel connected with the pointerfor rotation therewith, rotating means adapted to be moved into cogaxial engagement with the wheel for rotating the same, abell crank said lever.

8. A directionindicator including a ro- In testimony whereof have signed my name tothis'specification. V

' FRANK WEIDLINGER.

latch engaging the dog, cam faces on the clutch wheel for disengaging the latch from the dog, an armature rockable in theframe. a magnet adj acent'one end of the armature, a

bell crank hinged in the frame and connecting 

